


Too late?

by kiexen



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-12
Updated: 2016-01-12
Packaged: 2018-05-13 11:56:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5706802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiexen/pseuds/kiexen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haru knows Rin has been depressed, and then gets a mysterious text from him and tries to find him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Haruka stared at the message on his phone. _I love you Haru. Sorry I never had the guts to say it to your face. I hope you can forgive me, and not hate me. But I guess I'll never know._

_Fuck._ Rin didn't answer any of the flurry of messages Haruka had replied with, nor did he answer the three times he tried to call. On the fourth, the phone rang twice before connecting.

"Hello?"

"...Sousuke? Where is Rin?" Usually, Sousuke would pick a fight when they talked, but he must have recognized the urgency in Haruka's voice, because he replied honestly.

"I'm not exactly sure. I saw him on my way back to the dorm and he told me he was going for a walk and headed in the direction of the beach? Nanase, what's going on?"

"Fuck."

"Nanase??"

"He could be anywhere..." Haruka muttered to himself, frowning.

"He _might_ be heading to a cliff that overlooks the ocean that he loves to sit at?" Sousuke offered.

"Thanks. I'll check it out."

"Nanase, what--" Haruka didn't hear the rest of Sousuke's sentence, as he had hung up and shoved his phone in his pocket. He dodged past people as he ran.

Once he reached Samezuka Academy, Haruka turned towards the beach. _Please don't let it be too late._ Jogging onto the sand, he looked around at the cliffs. _Where is he??_ Haruka finally spotted a lone figure clad in black standing at the edge of one of the cliffs, staring into the abyss, their jacket and hair flapping in the wind around them. Starting the slightly steep climb up the back of the cliff, Haruka called out when he was on the same level as the figure. "Rin?"

"Go away, Haru." Rin responded without turning around.

"No. I'm not leaving you."

Rin took a step closer to the edge. "Why do you even care? When I'm gone you won't have to worry about me anymore."

Haruka moved forward a bit. "Rin, please, come back away from there and let us talk about this."

"No! I'm done."

"I-I love you too!" Haruka said in desperation, moving forward with an arm outstretched when Rin started to prepare to jump.

Rin froze. "Wh-what did you say?"

"I said I love you too. You asked me why I care. That's why. I love you, Rin."

Slowly turning around, Rin's eyes filled with tears. "Are, are you serious?"

"Would I joke around in a situation like this?"

"You wouldn't." Rin gave a water-y laugh and started towards Haruka. Time seemed to stop as they heard a loud _crack_ split the air. The rock gave way beneath Rin and he let out a yell as he fell. 

"Rin!" Haruka bolted back down the cliff and onto the beach towards Rin lying spread eagle on the ground, his arms and legs bent at unnatural angles. He froze at the sight, his heart stopping and feeling like the wind was knocked out of him.

_I was so close to saving him, but I still failed..._


	2. Not too late

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Same story, different ending.

Haruka stared at the message on his phone. _I love you Haru. Sorry I never had the guts to say it to your face. I hope you can forgive me, and not hate me. But I guess I'll never know._

_Fuck._ Rin didn't answer any of the flurry of messages Haruka had replied with, nor did he answer the three times he tried to call. On the fourth, the phone rang twice before connecting.

"Hello?"

"...Sousuke? Where is Rin?" Usually, Sousuke would pick a fight when they talked, but he must have recognized the urgency in Haruka's voice, because he replied honestly.

"I'm not exactly sure. I saw him on my way back to the dorm and he told me he was going for a walk and headed in the direction of the beach? Nanase, what's going on?"

"Fuck."

"Nanase??"

"He could be anywhere..." Haruka muttered to himself, frowning.

"He _might_ be heading to a cliff that overlooks the ocean that he loves to sit at?" Sousuke offered.

"Thanks. I'll check it out."

"Nanase, what--" Haruka didn't hear the rest of Sousuke's sentence, as he had hung up and shoved his phone in his pocket. He dodged past people as he ran.

Once he reached Samezuka Academy, Haruka turned towards the beach. _Please don't let it be too late._ Jogging onto the sand, he looked around at the cliffs. _Where is he??_ Haruka finally spotted a lone figure clad in black standing at the edge of one of the cliffs, staring into the abyss, their jacket and hair flapping in the wind around them. Starting the slightly steep climb up the back of the cliff, Haruka called out when he was on the same level as the figure. "Rin?"

"Go away, Haru." Rin responded without turning around.

"No. I'm not leaving you."

Rin took a step closer to the edge. "Why do you even care? When I'm gone you won't have to worry about me anymore."

Haruka moved forward a bit. "Rin, please, come back away from there and let us talk about this."

"No! I'm done."

"I-I love you too!" Haruka said in desperation, moving forward with an arm outstretched when Rin started to prepare to jump.

Rin froze. "Wh-what did you say?"

"I said I love you too. You asked me why I care. That's why. I love you, Rin."

Slowly turning around, Rin's eyes filled with tears. "Are, are you serious?"

"Would I joke around in a situation like this?"

"You wouldn't." Rin gave a water-y laugh and ran at Haruka, nearly barrelling him over with his hug. Haruka stumbled backwards but managed to find his balance and keep them from falling. Hugging Rin back, Haruka buried his face in Rin's shoulder.

"I love you." Rin said, pressing his own face into Haruka's hair.

"I love you too."

_This certainly wasn't the most romantic way to learn Rin loves me back, but when have I ever been one for romantic gestures?_


End file.
